Individual telephone-call



(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

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. -J. H. KINSMAN.

INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE GALL.

-' No. 334,390. Patented Jam. 12, 1886.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. H. KINSMAN.

INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE CALL. No. 334,390. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

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J. HVKINSMAN.

INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE CALL.

No. 334,390. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

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. ment has no effect upon any other.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN H. KINSMAN, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IN DIV! DUAL TELEPH ONE-CALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,390, dated January 12, 18256.

Application filed April .29, I885. Serial No. 163,572. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN H. KINSMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Actuating Individual Calls for Telcphonic, Telegraphic, and other Electrical Apparatus, or for placing one or more predetermined apparatus which are connected by the same line or system in connection,said improvements being improvements upon and additions to my Patent No. 288,449, ofNovember 13,1883; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked'thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a diagram of the whole apparatus, illustrating in a birdseye view the detail of the operation, the back of the central call removed to show mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front view of central call. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through central call; Fig. 4, a plan view of connector; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of the connectoron a smaller scale; Fig. 6, a detail view of the disks F P, and Fig. 7 a view showing the central offic e,two stations, and

their connections.

The object of this invention is to furnish for use upon telephone, telegraph, and other electrical lines an apparatus by which any individual call or single bell or single apparatus may be operated upon a line which is for the use of a number of subseribers as for calling guests in hotels or persons in large establishments.

The annoyance of listening to discover if it is ones own instrument which is called is abolished, as the special call uponone instru- Moreover, the expense and inconvenience ofa large number ofwires are obviated, as one wire will serve equally well for any number of instruments. To effect this I employ one main. wire and two main batteries, which can be used either together or separately, or one main battery, which can, when desired, be so divided that only a portion shall be used; or I substitutea magneto-electric machine to be used for the same purpose and in the same manner. The battery of greater strength Idesignate battery No. 1 and that of lesser strength battery No. 2. Battery No. 1 actuates a certain portion of each local apparatus upon the line, and is used in connection with a local battery, which actuates other portions of each local apparatus,t0 the exclusion of the corresponding portions of the other local apparatuses which it is not desired to act upon.

, The system consists of two portions, one being situated at the central oflice, the other at the location of the telephone or instrument in use. The former I designate central call, the latter local call. The central call conthe apparatus for employing their currents.

, The local call consists ofa local battery, polarized relay, connector, push-button l4, switch, bell-magnet, instrument-and-call magnet, and the wires attached to properly connect them.

The central call consists, preferably, of a plate having upon it a number of holes, 1 2 3 4, &c., and back plate, 0, of metal, having a corresponding number of holes and separated from the front plate at any convenient distance-say one-half or three-fourths of an iuchby another plate, (Z, having aseries of similar holes, but of somewhat greater diameter. This middle plate should be of some non-conducting material, as wood. Through the center of the three plates is ahole solarge in the front and back plates that the plates will not touch the spindle is of the crank K K, which runs through them and is insulated from them. Through the holes 1 2 3 4, &c., pass metal pins h, of such length that when pushed in they will touch the metal portion of the arm e on the disk 0 These pins are in contact with the back plate where they pass through the holes, and to make the contact more certain the holes in the insulating-plate are made large enough to contain spiral springs eflwhich rest upon the front and back plates, and being slightly longer than the passages which contain them, are necessarily I curved somewhat, and thus'keep a close con-- nection between the pins and the plate. One of the pins (marked 00 or) is placed in a position IOO diiterent from, the others and is of greater length, for reasons hereinafter explained.

Upon the back end of the spindle are two wheels or disks, 0 and c separated by nonconducting material 0. Both the disks and the non-conductor are cut away at certain portions of their periphery, or one extends beyond the other in such a manner that on rotating them the contact-springs E E E E 1*) E E may be brought either in metallic or non-metallic contact with the disks. One disk has upon the surface next to the back plate, 0, an arm, 0, which terminates in some non-conducting materiakfor pushing the pins back beyond metallic contact. The other disk is insulated from the before-mentioned disk. The number of holes and pins maybe as many as desired, provided it is the same as the number of contacts upon the disks and the number of teeth upon the wheel R W of the connector, to be hereinafter described.

The posts of the contact-springs are insulated from the call, but connected with the main wire, permitting the current to ilow in different directions, according to the contactwhich the springs may make with the disks, because they are adapted to impinge upon different parts under different circumstances. A switch, 2 z" z, and a switch, a) (v a, are also introduced in the main line, forming part of the central call for the purpose of closing the circuit in certain directions when it is in use, in certain directions when itis not in use, and of so connecting the line when the local call instrument is in use that a local or induced or other current may be used as desired. The back plate, 0, is connected with the main line by c c, to afford passage to the current of battery No. 2, whenever a pincontact is made.

The local battery at the subscribers station Sendsits current in three directions-to wit, first, through the polarized relay and magnet 2 of the connector; second, through the polarized relay, front disk of the connector, push-button, and instrument-and-call magnet; third, through the polarized relay, back plate of the connector, switch, and bell-magnet. From the instrument-and-call magnet it passes to the telephone or other instrument, if a current is desired there, if not, it may be returned to the battery. The polarized relay is interposed between the local battery and the connector, for opening or closing the local circuit to actuate magnet 2. The push-button 14: opens and closes the local circuit between the front disk of the connector and the instrument-andcall magnet, and vibrating the armature of the instrument-and-eall magnet it opens and closes the main circuit and rings the bell at the central call. The switch opens the local circuit between the back disk of the connector and the bell-magnet, to stop the bell from ringing, and closes the circuit beu tween the back disk of the connector and the instrument-and-call magnet, so as to place the telephone or instrument in connection with the main circuit.

The switch consists of contact-springs and a rod, M R, pivoted in such a manner that by a spring, weight, or other suitable means, it can be kept from contact with the spring 15, but when desired can be made to operate upon the springs 15 and 7, so placed and connected by wires that by its movement the ringing of the instrument-bell may be stopped and the telephone or instrument placed in connection. The springs are brought in action either by raising or lowering the lever,according to the method preferred, which motion may be produced by releasing or adding a spring or weight, or causing the rod to be used as an eccentric.

The polarized relay, push-button, bell-magnet, and instrument-and-call magnet need no particular description, being of the kind ordinarily used for producing similar electrical results, the mode of connection between themselves and the switch and their mode ot'action being the principal point as far as they are concerned.

The connector consists of two or more plates or wheels, F P and B P, composed partly of metal and partly of some non conductor, and a toothed wheel, R \V, mounted on an axis and capable of being revolved by the pawl P P, which is caused to act by the attraction of magnet 1. These wheels are pierced with a number of holes or slots near the periphery. These holes may be round, oval, or V-shaped. The number may be more or less, according to the number of figures to be used in calling. They are placed at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance between the teeth upon the wheel R \V, which teeth corre spend in numbers with the metallic spaces of contact upon the disks of the central call, so that whenever connection is made by that means with battery No. 1 the pawl PPdrives the wheel R V one space forward, thus bringing one hole at a time opposite the arm A it of magnet 2, of which more will be said hereinafter. By this means, when the crank K K has marked one revolution, the disks B Pand F P have done the same, so that after being set in unison, whenever the crank K K is opposite a number 011 the central call the corresponding number on the connector is also opposite the arm A R,'operated by magnet 2. Now, it any pin upon the central call has been pushed in, when the crank K K reaches that pin the arm upon the disk which it operates presses upon the pin and forms a connection with main battery No. 2. The current actuates the armature of the polarized relay in such a manner as to close the circuit of the local battery and actuate thereby the arm A R of the connector, and if a pin, f, should be projecting through the hole of the disk F 1? it would be driven in. If several pins are pushed in at the central call, then the arm A R of the connector would, when the circuit is closed, by turn- 'contact with the metal.

ing the arm K K, push in the pins of the corresponding numbers in the disks F P and B P, provided there were such pins in normal position. We thus see that the action of the connector-wheels and the connector-arm depend upon and correspond with the position of the crank K K and the pins 1 2 3, &c.

The disk B P is insulated from F Band from the connector-frame by a non-conducting substance-as, for example, hard rubber. The metal part of the disk F P is mounted upon a disk of rubber, b, which projects slightly be yond the metal, except at one point, B B, where it is cut away to allow the springs 4and 6 of the connector to come at certain times in The disk B P is mounted in the same general way, but, instead of being in one piece, consists of several segments slightly separated from each other at the apertures through which the pins pass. On this disk B P the rubber bis cut away at two points, as at T T, to allow the springs 3 and 5 to come at certain times in contact with the metal.

The pinsf, of which mention has been made, are of metal, part of which is exposed and part covered by some non-conductor-as rubber, glass, enamel, or any article of that nature. They are either headed or bent overto prevent them slipping too far through the apertures. WVhen the connector is not in operation, the pins project a short distance from the face of the disk F P, the apertures in the metal portion of it being made larger than those in the rubber part to guard against metallic contact. In the back disk, B P, on the contrary, the aperturesin the rubber b are the larger, so as to insure metallic contact when the pin is pushed in. The end of the pin which rests in the aperture of the back disk, B P, is made of or covered with a non-conductor (which closes at a certain distance) where the metal of the pin is exposed, this distance being such that when the pin is pushed in by the arm A Rthe non-conducting part is pushed beyond the disk B P, and the metallic part comes in contact with the metallic part of B P. These pins are retained in position, either projecting or pushed in, by small springs attached in any suitable manner. One or several pins may be used; but whenever a pin is employed a separation of the metal disk is made at the aperture through which it passes, so that a current could not pass from one segment to another. Then the instrumentis not in use, theinsulated portion of the pin rests in the aperture; but when the pin is pushed in the metal portion coming in contact with both segments will permit the passage of a current, provided other conditions exist, which will be explained farther on. The black portions of the pins are of insulating material and the other portions of metal. I

Behind the disk B P is an inclined slip, I K, which serves to push back to their first positions the pins after they have been pushed in by the arm A B and have performed their function and are being carried around to their original situation by the revolution of their disks.

NVhen not in use,the connector-disks are in such position that the metal portion B B of the disk F P rests upon the springs 4 and 6, while the insulated portion of the disk B P rests upon the springs 3 and 5. The springs 3 and 4 are connected with each other (simply for convenience) and with one pole of the 10- cal battery, while the springs 5 and 6 are insulated from each other and connected with separate points, the spring 6 with the pushbutton 14, the spring 5 with the switch. If the support of springs 3 and 4 is in metallic connection with the connector frame, the spring 4 may be omitted.

NVhen not in use, the position of the central call is as follows, (see Fig. 1:) The switch 2 rests upon the contactpoint z of the battery, while the switch rests upon the contact-point 00" of the battery, forming by this connection what I designate as battery No. 2. The current now tiows through the spring E through the disk E, and metallic contact in, made purposely ot longer surface for this particular position. It cannot pass to the spring E and thus shortcircuit itself through the switch 00", on account of the extension of surface of the non-metallic contact a. It is therefore obliged to pass through the spring E over the wire to the local call. Here it passes through magnet 1 of the connector, which,howe\'er,it has not force to actuate, then to the polarized relay, drawing the armature away from the contact-post H, thus cutting off the local current from the magnet 2 of the connector, then through the frame and contactpost 24 of the instrument-and-bell niagnetJ J, then onward, without passing through the telephone or instrument,to the earth and groundplatc G P", back to G P, the switch and the N pole of the battery. If there are several local calls on the line, the current passes through them before reaching the ground-plate. In this condition the local battery is out of circuit; but if the push-button 14 is actuated the current flows to the spring 4 of the connector through the metallic contact of the front disk and the spring 6, the push-button, and instrument and-call magnet J J, causing the armature to vibrate, and by thus disturbing the current of the main line to ring the bell at the central call. When the bell rings, the operator turns the switch 2 upon the contact-button z" and the switch x upon the contact-button x. This cuts out the battery, but unites the line in such manner that by continuing a steady pressure upon the push-button 14 the person calling is placed in communication with the operator.

Suppose the caller to bc No.35 and the person desired to be called No. 27. Since the disks of all the connectors turn when one is turned, it is necessary that the pins of the number calling should be pushed in as well as the number called, because when the back disk is in contact with the springs the front disk is out of contact, which cuts oil the communication which was possible before. To connect the two numbers, the operator breaks the circuit between a and z and closes that between .2 and 2, thus throwing on the main battery. He then pushes down the pins 2 3 5 '7 and turns the handle K K. At every metallic contact of the springs E and E the current of battery No. 1 is brought into use, and the action of magnet 1 throws the connector-disks one space forward. At every contact of a pin, while metallic connection is made between the springs 15" and E, the current of battery No. 2 passes in the other direction, actuates the armature of the polarized relay, closes the circult of the local battery, act-uates the armature of magnet 2 of the connector and drives in a pin. Consequently, when the crank K K has made one revolutiomthe disks of the connector have returned to their original position, and the pins of the connector corresponding to the pins of the central call, which were pushed in, have also been pushed in; but as the metallic contact of the back disk of the connectorstands one space from the springs 3 and 5 in its normal condition the crank K K is moved one space farther on, which estao lishes the local current through the connectors whose pins have been pushed in, and causes the bell-magnet to ring the bell. It does not sound a number, that being unnecessary, since under the above conditions only the bell of the numbers called can ring. The operator then again unites the switch a with the point cutting off, as before, the mainbattery current and uniting the line to be used for the local, induced, or other current desired. The person calling now brings the switch-rod M R- to press, by any means preferred, upon the spring 15 with enough force to impinge upon the spring 8, and thus break contact between 7 and 8, which turns the can rent from S to 15, cutting it off from the bellmagnct and stopping the ringing of the bell, and turning it onto the instrument-and-call magnet, which brings the armature against the contact-post 1S and connects the main wire through the telephone or instrument.

It is to be understood that the current of battery No. 2, which actuates the polarized relay in the direction which causes it to close the local circuit, is always of so much less force than the current of battery 1 that its passage through magnet 1 has not effect enough to cause it to revolve the connectordisks, or else that either the mechanical or electrical resistance of magnet l is greater than that of magnet 2.

To stop communication and restore the connector to its normal condition, the operator unites the switch 2' and point z, pushes down the pin 00 0:, and turns the crank around to its original position at O K. By this action the connector-disks are returned also to their original position, while the inclined plane I K performs the same office for the pins which have been pushed in. The pin a: x is placed in such a position and made of such a length that when pushed down and the arm of the disk first strikes it the current actuates the polarized relay, shortcircuits the local battery through the contact-post H and magnet 2, and allows the armature of the instrumentand-call magnet to fall, cutting off communication through the telephone or instrument. It continues its contact with the arm after the crank has passed to such a position that the current of battery 1 would ordinarily pass through the springs E and E, and, actuating the armature of magnet 1., cause the connectordisks to revolve; but the current moving in this direction would cause the polarized relay to break the local short circuit and allow the current to again pass through the instrumentand-call magnet, which would again shift the main current between 24 and 18, thus causing an irregular action upon the connectordisks, which would disturb the unison between them and the central call. Therefore the noncondueting contact a and the metallic contact m upon one disk and the non-conducting contact it upon the other disk are extended, so that while the pin 00 :v is still in contact with the arm the turning of the crank cuts oil the current of battery 2 through the spring E, but puts on the current of battery No.1 through the spring E, sending it, however, in an inverse direction to its regular course, because the extended nouconduct-ing contact at spring E prevents its passing on its usual course, while the extended metallic contact at permits it to flow through the spring E in the direction usually taken by the current of battery No. 2. The extended non-conducting contact n on the other disk prevents it from returning through the spring E and thus shortcircuiting itself, so that it is forced to travel the circuit, actuate the magnet 1 of the connector, and return to the battery through the pin, arm, disk, and spring E to the N pole. While the current of battery No. 2 has been changed to that of battery 1 there has been no interruption of it, so that the armature of the instrument-and-call magnet has not been moved by the opening or closing of the local circuit, and consequently the disks of the connector have only gone forward one space, caused by the action of magnet 1, when the current of battery No. 1 was substituted for that of battery No. 2. Beyond this point, as the crank is turned, the current flows in its normal direction until the crank reaches its original position 0 K. The switch at" is then again turned upon the point x and the central call can be signaled.

If the local battery should not short-circuit well by the action of the polarized relay, it can be remedied by the insertion of the contact-post P and a wire therefrom to magnet 1, instead of from the point L.

The number of figures of the central call Ila and connector may be increased to any number, provided they are the same upon each, so that the number of instruments or telephones on a line may be as many as can be made available, and as the, combination of pins can be made different in each it will'not be possible for the bell of one instrument to sound when some other is called, provided they all revolve in harmony with the central call. If a connector should fail to sound the bell when its number is set at the central office, it can be properly set whenever the crank is at O K simply by turning the disks until the metal of the disk F P connects the two springs 4 and 6.

As before stated, each connector answers only to its own number, because it only has pins for that number. Thus 15 cannot act when 16 is called, because, although the 1 pin is pushed in in each, there is no pin or division at 6 in 15, and no pin or division at 5 in 16; but if it is desired to unite 15 and 16, then at the central call pins 1 5 6 are pushed in, for in this case the 1 pin answers for part of each number. The arm A Rof each connector-magnet 2 pushes in the required pins in each one, and when the revolution is completed the telephone of each one can be brought in circuit. As the armA R of each connector acts at the sametime, the pins 1 5 G, in whatever connector they may be, will be depressed; but as the samecombination does not exist in any two connectors only the one having the combination made at the central call will for-m its connection.

Vhat I claim is 1. In a telephonic, telegraphic, or other electrical system,where individual calls or the use of one or more predetermined instruments is desired, to the exclusion of other instruments of the same system, a system comprising the following devicesnamely, one main line, two main batteries, or one main battery which can be divided at a central office, a circuit-closer at the central office arranged to close the circuit in one direction at equal intervals when operated, and provided with means for closing the circuit in the other direction at variable intervals during such operation, an automatic connecting mechanism at an outlying station arranged to operate in response to the currents at regular intervals in one direction, so as to bring local circuitclosing devices topredetermined position, and devices at the said station arranged to operate said circuit-closers in response to the currents of variable intervals in the other direction, substantially as described.

2. The central call composed of the perforated back plate and front plate adapted for connection with a battery, the non-conducting perforated plate arranged between said plates, the adj ustable pins inserted in the perforations of the plates, the metallic disks or wheels insulated from each other mounted upon a spindle, one of them being insulated from it and the other not, and provided with a metallic arm arranged to strike the pins when they are pushed in and the disks rotated, the metal springs connected to a battery and arranged to strike the disks in such manner as to send a current in regular or irregular alternating directions, the switch z z z for cutting out the main-line battery and allowing a current from a local battery, or an induced current, to circulate, if desired, the switch as a! x for causing the current of one battery to pass in a direction contrary to its usual course, or for connecting the line for a local battery or an induced current, and the increased surfaces of the metallic and non-metallic contacts a a m at, arranged with reference to the contactsprings, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

3. The connector composed of the disk F P, having its margin guarded by insulating material, except at the space E B, and mounted upon a spindle, the wheel B P, mounted upon the same spindle, but insulated from it, and composed of segments separated from each other and havingits margin guarded by insulating material, except at T and T, the pinsinsulated for a portion of their length and inserted in the perforations in the disk F 1?, and in the passages between certain segments of the disk B P, the toothed wheel mounted upon the same spindle with the wheels FF and B P, the pawllever for driving said toothed wheel, an electro-magnet for operating said pawl-lever, an electro magnet having a pivoted armature provided with an arm for striking said pins, the Springs 4 and 6, arranged to come in con tact with the exposed metallic portion of the edge of the wheel F I, and the springs 3 and 5, arranged to come in contact with the exposed metallic portions of the edge of the wheel B P, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the connector, as

described, the polarized relay and the local battery, of the switch composed of the contacts 7 8 15, and the pivoted rod for operating them, the pushbutton 14, which push-button acts also as the instrument-call on the circuitbreaking calling device, the instrumentandcall magnet, and the intermediate local and main line conductors, as specified, said mainlineconductorhavingtheelectro-magnetl,and said local line having the electro-magnet 2, of the connector arranged therein, and said switch acting upon the instrument call-bell and the instrument-and-call magnet, respectively, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the connector constructed and arranged to operate as specified, of the polarized relay and the switching mechanism of the main line,and the bell-magnet and instrument-and-call magnet, one having a retractile armature arranged to strike a bell and the other to' break and close the main line, the central-office bell included in said main line, and the specified connections from the local battery to the bell-magnet and the instrument-and-call magnehthe said connector having its magnets 1 and 2 connected in the main line and the local line, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the connectorwheels and sliding pins arranged therein, of the inclined piece arranged to press said pins back to their normal positions when said wheels are rotated after the pins have been pushed in, substantially as described.

7. In a telephonic, telegraphic, or other electrical system where individual calls or the use of one or more predetermined instruments is desired, to the exclusion of other instruments of the same system, the combination, with the central calling apparatuses, the main line and main battery or batteries connected therewith, of the central-oflice bell included in said main line, and the station apparatus comprising the polarized relay, connector, local battery, switch, push-button, telephone,

at a predetermined time, of arelay for closing 0 a local circuit including said magnet, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. KINSMAN.

\Vitnesscs:

HENRY A. HALE, HENRY A. H'rnus. 

